WHS Documents by Trade: What You Actually Need on Site
Site-specific, delivered in about 4 minutes · free revision within 24h if your builder asks for changes
Every trade doing high risk construction work needs the same core WHS document set: a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) for each high risk activity you perform, a SWMS register listing them, current high risk work and trade licences, Safety Data Sheets for the hazardous chemicals you bring on site, and a signed record that your crew was inducted and briefed. The SWMS is the one that is legally required and the one builders check first, and which SWMS you need is driven by which of the 18 high risk construction work categories your trade triggers. The list below is trade by trade.
The core WHS document set (every trade)
Before the trade-specific detail, this is the set a principal contractor expects from any subcontractor on a construction site. Miss one and you are held at the gate until it is produced.
- ✓ SWMS for each high risk construction work activity you do, site-specific to this job (legally required, WHS Regulation reg 299)
- ✓ SWMS register: a one-page index of every SWMS, its version, and its review date
- ✓ High risk work licences and trade licences for the work and the operators
- ✓ Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for hazardous chemicals and a chemical register
- ✓ Site induction record and daily sign-on / SWMS acknowledgement sheets
- ✓ Plant and equipment records: pre-start checks and inspection logs for the gear you operate
Which SWMS your trade needs
A SWMS is triggered by high risk construction work, not by your trade name, so the real question is which of the 18 categories your day-to-day work hits. This table maps the common trades to the categories that usually apply. Tick the ones that match your actual scope; the generator asks the same question and writes a SWMS for each.
| Trade | High risk construction work that usually applies | Typical SWMS you need |
|---|---|---|
| Electrician | Energised electrical work, falls over 2 m, work near live services | Energised electrical, switchboard, cable at height, roof-cavity wiring |
| Plumber | Trenches over 1.5 m, confined spaces, falls, gas and pressurised lines | Excavation, confined space entry, roof plumbing, gas line work |
| Carpenter | Falls over 2 m, powered mobile plant, structural work needing temporary support | Framing at height, formwork, roof carpentry, demolition strip-out |
| Tiler | Silica dust, falls, work in extremes of temperature (waterproofing) | Floor and wall tiling, waterproofing, silica cutting |
| Bricklayer | Falls over 2 m, powered mobile plant, silica dust | Blockwork and bricklaying at height, scaffold access, cutting |
| Roofer | Falls over 2 m, roof work, extremes of temperature | Roof installation, roof plumbing, edge protection, hot works |
| Concreter | Tilt-up and precast, mobile plant, falls, silica | Concrete placement, tilt-up, formwork, cutting and grinding |
| Painter | Falls over 2 m, confined spaces, hazardous atmospheres | Painting at height, spray in confined spaces, surface prep |
The document set is the same in every state, the citations are not
Seven states and territories run the harmonised model WHS laws, where the duty to prepare a SWMS is regulation 299 and high risk construction work is defined in regulation 291. Victoria runs its own OHS Regulations 2017 with the same practical duties. So a plumber in Queensland and a plumber in Victoria need the same documents, but the legislation field on each SWMS has to name the right law, and a reviewer checks exactly that.
If your crew works across borders, the fastest way to stay compliant is to generate the pack against the state where the work happens rather than reusing another state's copy.
Getting the whole set in one go
Producing six to twelve SWMS one at a time is where the day disappears. The Trade SWMS Pack (A$179) generates every SWMS your trade needs from a single questionnaire, each written site-specific for your job and state, and includes the SWMS register, a matched toolbox talk set, and the daily sign-on sheets, which is the rest of the core set above. For a whole project across multiple trades, the Builder Site Pack (A$299) does the same across the site.
Common questions
▸What WHS documents does a subcontractor need to get on site?
At minimum: a site-specific SWMS for each high risk activity, your high risk work and trade licences, SDS for any hazardous chemicals, and proof of induction. The principal contractor may also ask for public liability insurance and a company safety policy. The SWMS is the non-negotiable legal one.
▸Is a SWMS the same as a WHS document?
A SWMS is one WHS document, the legally required one for high risk construction work. "WHS documents" is the broader set: the SWMS plus the register, licences, SDS, induction records and plant checks that go with it. Builders often say "send me your WHS documents" and mean this whole pack.
▸Do I need different WHS documents in different states?
The documents are the same; the legislation they cite differs. Seven jurisdictions use the harmonised WHS Regulations (provision 299 for the SWMS duty; s 299 in NSW's WHS Regulation 2025); Victoria uses its OHS Regulations 2017. A SWMS prepared for one state should be re-cited and re-reviewed before it is used in another.
▸How many SWMS does my trade need?
Every high risk construction work activity you perform must be covered, and one SWMS can legally cover several activities. In practice most trades keep one per activity, six to twelve documents, because that is how builders review and file them. An electrician doing energised work, cable runs at height and roof-cavity wiring would cover each; a tiler doing silica cutting and waterproofing needs those covered. The Trade SWMS Pack sizes itself to your scope.
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Start the questionnaireMore on by state and trade
SWMS Template NSWSWMS Template VictoriaWHS documents by trade
Keep exploring
Trade SWMS Pack (A$179): every SWMS your trade needsBuilder Site Pack (A$299): the whole projectSWMS requirements by stateThe 18 high risk construction work categoriesSWMS by tradeDo I need a SWMS?Risk matrix calculatorSign-on sheet generatorSample SWMSSWMS for ElectricianSWMS for PlumberSWMS for CarpenterSWMS for Roofer